Electrical switch device



9,1941. H. R. HESSE 2. 31416 ELECTRICAL SWITCH DEVICE Filed Nov. 30,1944 3 Sheets-Shet 1 1 4 .1. a Fi ,2.

. 27 26 26 28 mum 11 6'2 5 Z i 32 32 33 5 2 5.9 3 u 36 3.9; g 33 37 39'5 3 3 v i i 30 9' 9 a 5/ 30 j; g 2 f; 18 1.9- 811 .58 .56 5 L J /20 I21/ 53 23 mvemon f/E/VRY 16 5565 ATTORNEY Dec. 9, 1947. R H55552,432,476

ELECTRICAL SWITCH DEVICE Filed Nov. 30. 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 a2 6560 I7a- 1 76 4/ v 70 a7 L 6 7/ g v 1 7g 69 57 69 I i ,1]

INVE NTOR f/E/VRY R. f/kssz:

ATTORNEY Dec. 9, 1947. H. R, HESSE 2,432,476

ELECTRICAL SWITCH DEVICE Filed NOV. 30, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 X7 l" 12.27 i r7333 2 43 INVE NTOR M YR. 16 535: BY /JM ATTORNEY preciablecharacteristic enema Dec- 9, 1947 2,432,476 nLEc'rmcAL swrrcn DEVICEHenry R. Hesse, Hempstead, N. Y., .asslgnorjo Sperry Gyroscope Company,Inc., a corporation of New York Application November 39, 1944, SerialNo. 565,919

14 Claims. 1

This invention relates to switching of shielded cables, such as coaxialcables, including an outer shielding conductor and one or more innerconductors. It is especially related to apparatus for frequenc circuits,a plurality of circuit terminals are arranged at points on a circle, atthe center of which is pivoted a cooperating contact arm, By rotation ofsuch an arm to a position at which it contacts an appropriate circuitterminal, a desired circuit may be made operative. In such a switch, therotary movement of the contact arm produces wiping" of the contactsurfaces. Pressure of the contact arm against the selected circuitterminal usually is maintained by resilience of either the contact armor the terminal, or both. Either or both of these switch parts may beconstructed of thin, springy material such as spring brass or berylliumcopper.

Although such switches are satisfactory for operation at lowfrequencies, they have been found unsuited for switching circuitconducting currents of frequencies as high as, or higher than, 1,000megacycles per second. For such extremely high frequencies, it is veryimportant that circuit portions at appreciable potential diiference fromground be maintained completely shielded. Also, it is important that thecables and associated circuit elements be so constructed that internaldimensional discontinuities are kept at a minimum, since largediscontinuities produce apimpedance variations along the cable,resulting in high-intensity standing waves, accompanied by appreciableenergy loss. Obviously, a switching device for use with such cablesshould be so constructed and arranged as to introduce minimumdiscontinuity in a selected cable circuit.

It has been found that the .most satisfactory junction between twocoaxial cables, or between two shielded cables of any other type isprovided by adapting their ends for telescopic engagement, i. e., fornesting the outer and inner conductors of one cable portion with theouter and inner conductors, respectively, of another, alongappreciable-length portions at the ends of the cables. It is highlydesirable, then, that a cable selector switch can be so constructed andarranged as to provide telescopic connection of the outer con- 2 ductorsand the inner conductors of the joined cable portions.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide animproved cable selector switch.

It is a further object to provide a cable switch adapted for telescopicjunction of a relatively movable cable portion with one or more fixedcable portions.

It is still another object to provide a rotary cable selector switchadapted for telescopic contact of the conductor portions thereof.

Yet another object is to provide a'cable selector switch adapted forcooperation with a conventional low-frequency circuit selector switch,so that high-frequency cable circuits and related low-frequency circuitsmay be selected simultaneously by the operation of a single controlelement.

An additional object is to provide a coaxial cable switch adapted toprovide complete, telescopically joined shielding of the ends of cablecircuits terminating therein.

Yet another object is to provide a cable selector switch adapted toprovide telescopic connection of a common cable to a selected cable, andto provide telescopically joined short-circuiting connection of othercable circuits.

In accordance with the present invention, a cable selector switch isprovided with a manually controllable selector element adapted forrotary movement to align a movable cable portion axially with a selectedcable end or terminal, and for translatory movement to providetelescopic or axially overlapping contact with the selected cable.

The above objects and general description of the present invention willbecome more clearly apparent, and other objects will be visualized, fromthe following detailed description taken in conjunction with thedrawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a view, in longitudinal cross-section, of an embodiment of thepresent invention adapted for connecting a common shielded cable througha movable cable portion to any one of a plurality of shielded cables;

Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in section, of the switch shown in Fig.1, the movable portion thereof having been moved axially to provideengagement of a selected cable;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modljfline fied form of thepresent invention adapted to provide complete, individual shielding ofnon-selected cables, while providing circuit connection between a commoncable and a selected cable, the movable portion of the switch beingshown disengaged from the selected cable;

Fig. 5A is a view showing details of an indexing dowel and cooperatingindexing body included in the structure shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 6 is an elevation view, partly in section, of the cable switchshownin Fig, 5, the movable portion having been depressed, or moved axiallydownward, to provide connection to the selected cable;

Figs. 7 and 8 are sectional views taken along the lines 1-1 and 8-8,respectively, of Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 illustrates the combination according to the present invention ofa cable selector switch with two conventional rotary selector switchsections, to provide simultaneous low-frequency circuit switching withthe selection'and switching of ultra high frequency cable circuits;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line iii-l0 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a detailed sectional view of one of the conventional switchelements shown in Figs. 9 and 10;

'Fig. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view of an embodiment of thepresent invention arranged for selective connection of one or moremovable cable sections simultaneously to two or more selected cables, inuch a manner that the two selected cables may be interconnected bytelescopic junctions with a movable cable section upon depression of themovable section; and

Fig. 13 is a sectional view taken along the line |3.|3 of Fig. 12.

Referring now to Figs. 1 through 4, a switch device ii is showncomprising a cylindrical supporting member I2 including two disc endportions l3 and M. The disc portion l3 includes a threaded bushing l5adapted to extend through a mounting hole in a suitable mounting panelIS. The switch device |l may be secured to the panel is by a principalmounting nut l1 cooperating with the bushing i5. Within end disc portionll of the supporting member I2 are rigidly positioned a plurality ofcable ends or cable terminal members 8, l9, 2|, 22 and 23, eachconsisting of a threaded outer sleeve and an inner wire terminalelement. Each of these' cable terminal members is adapted to receive theend of a shielded cable, as illustrated at 24 in connection with cableterminal member 8.

The switch device includes a shlftable switch member 26 supported forrotary and translatory movement in a cylindrical.passage through bushingi5 and disc end portion I3. The shiftable switch member 26 includes amanual control knob 21 having a pointer 28, a coaxialcable shaft portionincluding an outer sleeve 29 and an inner conductor portion 3|, and abranch coaxial cable portion including an outer shielding sleeve 32 andan inner conductor part 33 connected respectively to the outer sleeve 29and the inner conductor 3 The coaxial-cable shaft portion 29, 3|telescopically-engages the fixed central coaxial cable, which latter isillustrated as including an outer tubular portion 36 and an innertubular portion 31 extending upward from the cable terminal member 23.These telescopic connecting portions provide for relative rotary -andtranslatory movement between the cable portion 29, 3| and the centralfixed cable or cable terminal member 23 with positive electrical contactmaintained at all times between the respective outer and innerconductors thereof.

The branch cable portion 32, 33 of the shiftabfe switch member 28,rigidly connected mechanically as well as electrically to the coaxialshaft portion 23, 3| is adapted to engage telefour outer terminalmembers l3, l9, 2| and 22 likewise includes or extends into a tubularportion 30 forming a receptacle for the inner conductor part 33 of thebranch cable portion 32, 33.

As shown in Fig. 1. the shiftable switch member 23 is in the raised orextended position, so that the branch cable portion 32, 33 is disengagedfrom any of the four outer cabl terminal members. In this raisedposition, the shiftable switch member 23 may be rotated to align thebranch cable portion 32, 33 with any desired one of the four outerterminal members i3, i3, 2| or 22. Upon axial alignment of the branchcable portion 32, 33 with a selected cable terminal member, as forexample cable member l3, the control knob 21 may be depressed in orderto provide telescopic engagement between the branch cable portion 32, 33and cable terminal member i9. Fig. 2 shows the position of theshii'table switch member 23 after the control knob 21 has been depressedto provide telescopic engagement of the branch cable portion 32, 33 withthe cable terminal member N. In the switch device shown in Figs. 1through 4, the lower end of the outer shielding sleeve 32 enters acylindrical opening 39 in the lower disc in portion ll of supportingmember |2 when the shiftable switch member 23 is depressed. The portionof the cylindrical opening 39 extending upward from the top of thethreaded tubular outer part 29 of the cable terminal member |9 serves,in

efiect, as an enlarged-diameter upward extension of the cable terminalmember, especially suited to receive outer shielding sleeve 32 of thebranch cable portion 32, 33. For ease in starting the outer shieldingsleeve 32 into telescopic engagement with this upward extension of thecable terminal member outer conductor, the cylindrical opening 33 may bechamfered at its upper end, as shown at 39.

When the shiftable switch member 26 is in its raised position, it mayberotated while lightly depressed, so that outer shielding sleeve 32 ofthe branch cable portion 32, 33 moves lightly around the upper surfaceof the end disc portion ll until it reaches the chambered mouth of acylindrical opening; 39, whereupon the shiftable member moves downwardinto full telescopic connection with inner wire terminal element andouter sleeve of a cable terminal member.

If desired, a somewhat morev positive indexing arrangement may beprovided as by a disc 3| secured to the outer sleeve 29 of shiftableswitch member 23, and including a plurality of slots 32, l3, l4 and 45for cooperation with an indexing dowel pin 33 rigidly positioned in thecylindrical wall of supporting member I2. With this arrangement, afterretraction of the control knob 21 to disengage the shiftable switchmember 28 from contact with cable terminal member IS, the control knob21 may be rotated while lightly depressed toward panel l6 causing disc4| to bear lightly against dowel pin 46, until one of the slots in thedisc 4| registers with the indexing dowel pin 46, permitting the disc 4|and the rigidly connected shiftable switch member 26 to move axiallydownward and thus maintaining accurate alignment during telescopicengagement of the branch cable portion 32, 33 with one of the four outercable terminal members.

A calibration disc 48 may be secured to the supporting member |2, |3 byan outer nut 49 cooperating with the threaded bushing l5 and clampingthe disc tightly against nut By the cooperation of the pointer 28 andappropriate markings on the disc 48, the operator may readily ascertainwhich one of the four outer cable terminal members |8, |9, 2| and 22 isconnected to the central or common cable terminal member 23 through theshiftable switch member.

The inner wire elements 5|, 52, 53, 54 and 55 of the cable terminalmembers may be positioned rigidly in coaxial relation with the outersleeve portions of the cable terminals by means of solid dielectricbodies, such as those shown in crosssection at 56, 51 and 58. Similarly,the inner conductor part 33 of the branch cable portion may bepositioned rigidly with respect to outer sleeve 32 by means or a soliddielectric body 59 positioned therebetween. The inner conductor portion3| may be secured at its end within outer sleeve 29 by means of abushing 6|, which may be constructed of dielectric material or ofconductive material, as desired. If the body 6| is constructed ofconductive material, this body should be separated from the junction 62of inner conductor portion 3| and inner conductor part 33 by a dis tanceequal to an odd-integral multiple of a quar ter of the wavelengthcorresponding to the ire-Q. quency of operation of the switch device H,as, for example, at one-fourth or three-fourths of the wavelength atwhich this device is operated, thus insuring that the short-circuitbetween the upper ends of the outer sleeve 29 and the inner conductorportion 3| does not exert appreciable effect upon voltage appearingbetween inner con ductor part 33 and outer shielding sleeve 32 duringthe transmission of ultra high frequency energy through the switchdevicei While elements l8, l9, 2i, 22 and 23 have been illustrated as shortlengths of coaxial cable, it will be readily apparent that these may bethe ends of long coaxial cables extending to various apparatus units.The mechanical details of the cable ends and the methods of attachmentof course may readily be varied according to the types of cables andfittings with which the switch device is to be used. The essentialfeature, of course, is that the supporting member structure be soarranged that cable ends will be presented parallel to the axis and insuch a manner as to admit of the required telescopic connection of thecoaxial cable carried by the shiftable switch member.

Thus, in Figs. 1 through 4, there is shown a relatively simpleembodiment of the present invention, adapted for rotary movement of ashiftable switch member to select a desired cable circuit, and for axialmovement of the shiftable switch member to provide telescopic engagement6 with resultant positive connection-to and complete shielding of theselected cable circuit.

I1 desired, the 'shiftable member of a-switching deviceconstructed inaccordance with the present invention may be provided with auxiliarysleeve portions so positioned on the shiftable member as to engagetelescopically the outer conductor portions of the non-selected radiallypositioned cable terminal members, and thus to provide faultlessshielding of the non-selected cable circuits.

A modified version of the present invention incorporating the shieldingfeature outlined above is shown in Figs. 5, 5A, 6, 7 and 8. In thismodified version of the invention, the shiftable switch member 26' isconnected-rigidly to an indexing head 4| within which are supported acable connector portion 65 including an inner conductor 66 andconsecutively connected cylindrical outer conductor portions 61, 68 andIll. The inner conductor 66 may be provided at its centrally positionedend with a sleeve portion 69 adapted to be maintained in telescopicengagement with the inner conductor 12 of the central cable terminal 73.This inner conductor 66 also may be provided at the outer end with atubular portion 1| adapted to engage telescopically the inner con:-

ductor of any selected one of the radially positioned cable terminalmembers upon depression of the shiftable member 26.

Within indexing body :2! are positioned three sleeve members M, 55 and16 adapted to engage telescopically the cylindrical upper extensions ofthe non-selected cable terminal members, simultaneously with thetelescopic engagement of outer sleeve 10 and inner conductor tubular endH with the outer and inner conductors, respectively, of a selected cableterminal. I

For convenience in construction, the indexing body 4 may be made as acomposite assembly of two cooperating portions 1'! and i8, rigidlyinterconnected by one or more screws is. The upper portion 78 may bemade as a casting, while the lower portion 7'! is conveniently made fromsheet stock.

The slots 8| milled in the indexing body 4| cooperate with an indexingdowel pin 82 to restrain the shiftable switch member 26' from 0 downwardmovement until the sleeve ill and tubular part H and the shieldingsleeves l5, l5 and '11 are aligned with the four outer cable terminalmembers. In Fig. 5A is shown a detail view of the manner in which dowelpin 82 cooperates with the indexing body M to prevent mechanical contactof the shielding sleeves 68, l4, l5 and 16 with the lower disc end ofthe switch housing and supporting member l2 during the rotation of theshiftable member 26 between circuit connection positions.

As shown in this embodiment of the invention, a compressed helicalspring as may be utilized to urge the indexing body il against theindexing pin 82 when'the shiftable member 28 is rotated betweenpositions of alignment with the outer cable terminal members; and todepress the shiftable member 26 into the position for full engagement,as shown in Fig. 6, when a slot 8| in the indexing body 4| registerswith the indexing pin 82.

As shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11, a cable selector switch device may becombined in tandem relation with a rotary disc selector switch of thetype commonly employed for interconnecting lowfrequency circuits. InFig. 9, a switch ll" of con- I G struotion generally similar to thatshown in Figs. 5, A. 6, I and 8 is mechanically interconnected with adual-section selector switch including selector switch sections II and82. The sections II and I! are mechanically supported in fixed relationto the supporting member I2 of the switch device II. as by studs 83extended to and connected with the upper end II of the switch de-' vicesupporting member I2. The details of selector switch sections II and I!per se, do not form part of the present invention. Inasmuch as thesedetails are especially suited for combination with the cable selectorswitch of the present inven-' tion, however, these switch sections aredescribed below.

The switch disc elements ii and 82, as indicated in Figs. 10 and 11,each include a phenolic or ceramic dielectric outer disc portion 94having a large circular central opening and an inner phenolic or ceramicdielectric disc portion ll of thickness substantially equal to that ofthe portion 84 and of such diameter as tolit rotatably within thecentral opening provided through the portion 9|. Upper and lower thinmetallic discs 98 and 91 having large circular central openings aresecured to the inner dielectric disc portion 95 as by rivets 98 and 89.These thin metallic discs 98 and 9'! bear against the upper and lowersurfaces of the dielectric disc 94 to maintain the inner dielectricportion 85 in fixed axial relation with respect to the disc 94, whilepermitting rotation of the inner disc 95 with respect to the outer disc8|.

The upper disc 96 serves a further function as an electrical slip-ringcooperating with a metallic spring brush IIII. The lower thin metallicdisc 97, electrically connected to the upper disc by the rivets 98 and99, includes a. radially projecting tab adapted to make contact with anyselected one of a plurality of stationary connectors I 02, I03, Ill andI05, dependent upon the position to which the inner dielectric disc 95and the asso-' ciated metallic discs 96 and 91 are rotated.

The inner dielectric disc 95 includes a rectan gular passage I08 throughwhich a rectangular shaft I01 may be passed. The shaft IIII may be movedaxially through the disc 95 without any adapted to telescope with theinner conductor'li and may b urged by a small compressed spring,

Ill toward a position of complete engagement with the cable terminal II.'Ihus, upon depression of the control knob 21. or upon expansion ofspring l4, moving the shiftable member It" downward, the outer tubularportion ll of the cable connector portion I! is enabled by the slightflexibility of short-circuiting plug Ill to connect fully with thecooperating surfaces of the selected cable terminal, and thus todetermine the depth to which the shiftable member 26" may be depressed.

In all of the foregoing embodiments of the invention. the cableconnector switch devices II, II and II" are arranged for connection of acommon cable terminal positioned along the central axis of the switchdevice to any selected one of the cable terminals radially displacedfrom this axis, the latter having heretofore been referred to as theouter cable terminals." Each of these embodiments has been illustratedwith four such radially displaced or outer connector terminals, but itwill be obvious that the number of such radially displaced terminals maybe greater or less than four, as determined by the apparatusrequirements for which the cable connector switch is provided.

The principles of rotating a shiftable cable section for selecting adesired set of cables, and

depressing the shiftable section to provide teledisturbance thereto, butrotation of the shaft I01 produces rotary movement of the disc,operating the conventional selector switch this provided. As shown inFig. 9, the shiftable portion 26" of the cable connector switch device II' is connected as by dowel pins III to the rectangular shaft I01provided for cooperation with the conventional rotary switch'members 95and 95'. A control knob 21 having a pointer 28 is connected through acircular cross-section shaft portion I I2 and by a dowel pin II3 to therectangular shaft portion I01 to enable an operator to control theconventional switch sections 9i and 92 and the cable switch II" bysuccessive rotary and translatory movements of knob 21.

An additional feature of the invention is illustrated in the embodimentof Fig. 9 and comprises the use of a short-circuiting plug II4 fittedwithin the indexing body 4i" and adapted to join telescopically with andshort-circuit any or all of the non-selected cable terminals, such asthat designated I8 in Fig. 9. The short-circuiting plug I includes anouter tubular part H5 adapted to cooperate telescopically with the outerconductor cf the cable terminal It, and an inner scopic engagement ofthe shiftable cable section with fixed cable terminals, may be utilizedin an arrangement wherein no single cable terminal is selected as thecommon or principal terminal. One or more cable portions may be carriedby the shiftable switch member, and each may be adapted to interconnecttwo selected cable terminals. An embodiment incorporating theseprinciples applied to a cable switch device for almultaneouslyinterconnecting two selected pairs of cable terminals is shown in 1"lgs.12 and 13. This cable switch device III embodies a cylindricalsupporting member I32 having an upper disc end I" and a lower disc endI, for supporting a plurality of cable terminals I", I, It! and Ill, thelatter two being hidden from view by the former pair of terminals in theillustration of Fig. 12. v

A shiftable member II! includes a knob 21 and pointer II, a shaftportion Ill movably fitted within a cylindrical opening through upperdisc end In and a boss I" thereon, and an indexing body I. The shiftablemember III may be' urged downward by compressed spring 84. The body Imay include one or more cable connector portions adapted to bedisengaged entirely from contact with any of the cable terminals I35,I", II! and I", to be positioned above any pair of adjacent cableterminals, as for example I" and I", and to be telescopically connectedsimultaneously to any such adjacent pair of cable terminals.

In the embodiment shown in 'Figs. 12 and 13, two cable interconnectingportions I and I" are carried by the body portion I of the shiftablemember Ill, so that two pairs of adjacent cable terminals may beinterconnected simultaneously. For example, as when the shiftable memberI is depressed from the position shown in Fig. 12, cable terminal IIImay be interconnected with cable terminal I". while cable terminal I31.may be interconnected with cable terminal I38. The cable connectorportion I46 thus may be urged into telescopic connection at its two endswith the cable terminals I35 and I36, while the connector cable portionI4! is urged into telescopic connection with the-cable terminals I31 andI38. Then, by raising the control knob 21 against the action of spring84, rotating the control knob through an agle of 90 and permitting theshiftable member I39 to be depressed by the spring 84, one connectorcable portion may be made to interconnect terminals I36 and I38, whilethe other cable connector portion may be made to interconnect the cableterminals I35 and I31.

If desired, indexing slots 8| may be provided within the body I and acooperating index dowel pin 80 may be provided within the cylindricalwall of the supporting member I32, for permitting the shiftable memberI39 to be depressed only when the shiftable member I39 has been rotatedby the. knob 21 to the proper position for telescopic junction with thecable terminals.

In all of the cable switching devices illustrated, the end disc portionssupporting the cable connector terminals are shown employed asenlarged-diameter extensions of the outer or shielding terminal sleevesof the cable terminal members. If desired, however, the outer terminalsleeves may be made somewhatmore massive,

with their upper end portions reamed to the desired increased diameterto permit insertion therein of the outer sleeves of the cable connectorportions carried by the shiftable members. With such alternativeconstruction, the outer sleeve is one continuous piece of metal, withthe end disc portion of the supporting member lending only physicalsupport therefor. Such details, of course, may be varied greatlyaccording to the manufacturing processes by which these switchingdevices are constructed.

Thus, in accordance with the present invention, telescopic connectionresulting in positive contact, freedom from major discontinuities ofcable dimensions, and faultless shielding, are provided in a cableselector switch by arrangement of the shiftable portion thereof forrotary movement in cable selection and translatory movement inconnection or disconnection of a selected cable. If desired. theshiftable switch portion may be urged toward its position of contactwith the selected cable terminal by a resilient member such as theillustrated helical spring, and, if desired, an indexing plate or bodymay be incorporated within the device for permitting translatorymovement of the shiftable member only when it has been rotated to one ofthe selected cable positions.

Non-selected cables may be individually and completely shielded, ifdesired; and furthermore the inner conductors of these cables may beshort-circuited to the outer conductors thereof. In addition to thesefeatures, it has been shown that a cable selector switch according tothe present invention may be combined with conventional circuit selectorswitches in such a manner that low-frequency circuits may be switched incoordination with ultrahigh frequency cable circuits.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above 10 description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

What is claimed is:

.1. A switch device for connecting two of a. plurality of cables,comprising a supporting member, cable terminal members for therespective cables supported therein and consisting of outer terminalsleeves and inner terminal elements insulated therefrom, said cableterminal members being arranged in said supporting member with theiraxes parallel, and a shiftable switch member having a length of cableincluding a conductive outer shielding sleeve and an inner conductorfixedly supported therewithin and insulated therefrom, said shiftableswitch member being adapted for translatory movement along an axisparallel to said axes of said cable terminal members, the outer sleevesand inner elements of at least one of said cable terminal members andthe outer conductive sleeve and inner conductor of said shiftable memberbeing mutually adapted for selective telescopic engagement anddisengagement upon translatory movement of said shiftable memberrelative to said supporting member.

2. A switch device for interconnecting two of a plurality of cables,comprising a supporting member, cable terminal members for therespective cables supported therein and consistin of outer terminalsleeves and inner terminal elements in sulated therefrom, said cableterminal members being arranged in said supporting member with theiraxes parallel, a shiftable switch member having a length of cableincluding an outer conductive sleeve and an inner conductor fixedlysupported therewithin and insulated therefrom, said shiftable switchmember being supported for rotary movement about an axis parallel tosaid terminal member axes and translatory movement along said axis withrespect to said supporting member, the outer sleeves and inner elementsof said cable terminal members and the outer conductive sleeve and innerconductor of the length of cable in said shiftable switch member beingmutually adapted for selective telescopic engagement and disengagementupon axial movement of said shiftable member relative to said supportingmember, and said cable terminal members being so positioned in saidsupporting member that their axes are located at a predetermined radiusfrom said axis of rotation of said shiftable member whereby saidshiftable member may be rotated for selection of the cable terminalmember with which it is to be connected.

3. A switch device for interconnecting two of a plurality of cableshaving inner and outer conductors, comprising a supporting member havingmutually parallel tubular portions for receiving the ends of the.cables, an angularly and longitudinally shiftable switch member havinga length of cable including a conductive outer shielding sleeve and aninner conductor fixedly supported therewithin and insulated therefrom,said shiftable switch member being supported for rotary movement aboutan axis parallel to said tubular portions and translatory movement alongsaid axis with respect to said supporting member, the outer conductivesleeve and inner conductor of the length of cable in said shiftableswitch member being adapted for selective telescopic engagement withmating conductor ends upon translation of an end of said length ofcableinto a selected one of said tubular portions upon axial movement ofsaid shiftable member relative to '(5 said supporting member, and aplurality of said assure tubular portions being so positioned in saidsupporting member that their axes are located at a predetermined radiusfrom said axis of rotation of said shiftable member whereby saidshiitable member may be rotated for selection or the tubular portioncorresponding to a desired cable.

4. A switch device for connecting a first cable to any selected one of agroup of cables, comprising: a supporting member; a first cable terminalmember for said first cable supported therein; a plurality of cableterminal members for said group of cables supported therein at apredetermined radius from said first cable terminal member, the axes ofsaid plurality of terminal members being parallel to the axis or saidfirst terminal member; and a shiftable switch member supported forrotary movement about and translatory movement along said axis of saidfirst terminal member; said shiftable member comprising a cable portionextending along said axis of rotation thereof, then outwardly from saidaxis of rotation to the radius of said plurality of terminal members,then along an axis parallel to said axis of rotation, said cable portionand said cable terminal members being mutually adapted for telescopicconnection, whereby said shiftable member may be rotated for alignmentwith a selected one of said plurality of cable terminal members andtranslated for telescopic connectiontherewith.

5. A switch device as defined in claim 4. further including resilientmeans for urging said shiitable member into telescopic connection withone of saidplurality of cable terminal members.

6. A switch device as defined in claim 4, further including indexingmeans for restraining said shiftable member from translatory movementduring rotation of said shiftable member.

7. A switch device as defined in claim 4, further including resilientmeans for urging said shiftable member into telescopic connection withone of said plurality of cable terminal members during alignmenttherewith of said cable portion, and

indexing means for restraining said shiftable member from translatorymovement during rotation of said shiftable member between positions ofalignment of said cable portion with successive ones or said pluralityof cable terminal members. 8. Apparatus as defined in claim 4, furtherincluding telescopic cable shielding elements carried by said shiftablemember and positioned thereon for telescopic junction with non-selectedones of said cable terminal members;

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 4, further including cableshort-circuiting elements carried by said shiftable member andpositioned thereon ior telescopic Junction with non-selected ones ofsaid cable terminal members simultaneously with the telescopicconnection of said cable portion and a selected one of said cableterminal members.

10. A switch device for completing a circuit between a common cable andany selected one of a group of cables, comprising a supporting member,and an angularly and longitudinally shiftable switch member supported insaid supporting member for rotary movement about an axis and translatorymovement along said axis, said shiftable switch member comprising acable portion extending along said axis of rotation, then outwardly fromsaid axis of rotation to a predetermined radlus and then parallel tosaid axis of rotation at said predetermined radius, saidcable portionincluding a tubular conductor forming an outer shielding sleeve and atleast one inner conductor substantially coextensive therewith. and theends of said, outer and inner conductors at the end oi said cable*portlon radially displaced from said axis of rotation being arrangedfor telescopic interconnection with mating conductor ends upontranslation 01' said shiftable switch member along said axis, and saidsupporting member including a plurality of cable-receiving tubularextensions, a first one of said tubular extensions being aligned withsaid axis 01' rotation for receiving the common cable and at-least two01 said tubular extensions being positioned parallel with said axis butdisplaced thereirom at a radius equal to said predetermined radius forreceiving the cables among which the selection is to be made.

11. A switch device for interconnecting two or a I plurality of cablescomprising a supporting member, cable terminal members for therespective cables supported therein and consisting of outer terminalsleeves and inner terminal elements insulated therefrom, said terminalmembers being arranged in said supporting member with their axesparallel, and a shiftable switch member adapted for rotation about andtranslation along an axis parallel to the axes of said terminal elementsand having a length of cable including an outer conductive sleeve and aninner conductor fixedly supported therewithin and insulated therefrom.one end of said length of cable being adapted to be positioned coaxiallywith one of said cable terminal members when the other end of saidlength of cable is positioned coaxially with another of said cableterminal members, the ends of said length or cable and said cableterminal members being mutually adapted for telescopic interconnectionbetween two selected cable terminal members and the two ends of saidlength of cable by translation of said shil'tablej member.

12. A switch device for completinga circuit between two cables,comprising a supporting member, and an angularly and longitudinallyshiftable switch member borne for rotation about and translation alongan axis in said supporting member and having a length of cable includingan outer shielding conductive sleeve and an inner conductor fixedlysupported therewithin and insulated therefrom, the ends of said lengthof cable extending parallel to said axis or rotation, said supportingmember having aplurality of tubular extensions thereon extendingparallel to said axis 'and adapted to receive the ends of'a plurality ofcables, said tubular extensions being so positioned relative to saidaxis and said shiitable switch member as to permit rotation of saidshiftable member to a position of simultaneous alignment of the ends ofsaid cable portion with a selected pair of said tubular extensions andtranslation of said shiftable switch member into a position ofsimultaneous insertion of the ends of said cable portion in saidselected pair of extensions.

13. A=selector switch for interconnecting one hollow energy conductorwith a selected further hollow energ conductor and simultaneouslyinterconnecting one circuit terminal with another circuit terminal,comprising: a. supporting member having a plurality of hollow conductorterminals' positioned therein along parallel axes and also having aplurality of circuit terminals afllxed thereto; a rotatable andtranslatable member including a hollow conductor interconnector section,said rotatable and translatable member being supported in saidsupporting member for rotation about and translation along an axisparallel to the axis or said hollow conductor terminals.

and said hollow conductor interconnector section being adapted fortelescopic engagement with said hollow conductor terminals upontranslation of said rotatable and translatable member; and meansrotatably coupled to said rotatable and translatable member forinterconnection of two of said circuit terminals simultaneously with theinterconnection of two of said hollow conductor terminals.

14. A selector switch as defined in claim 13, further including at leastone inner conductor within said hollow conductor interconnector section,and at least one inner conductor element positioned within at least oneof said hollow conductor terminals and arranged for telescopicallyengaging said inner conductor of said interconnector sec- 14 tion whenthe hollow conductor terminal telescopically engages the hollowconductor end of said lnterconnector section.

HENRY R.HESSE.

' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 70,912 Germany Feb. '7. 1893 251,027Italy Nov. 16, 1926 337,851 Great Britain Nov. 30, 1930

